Bulldogs Leap to No. 38 in Nation

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Another week, another jump in the national ranking of the Yale men's golf team. The team is up from No. 43 last week to No. 38, according to Golfstat.

That's not the only good news for the Elis in Golfstat's new ranking: sophomore Sam Bernstein, who led the team to victory at the Macdonald Cup last weekend with his second-place individual finish, slotted in at No. 43 in the men's rankings.

Another perennial performer for the Bulldogs, junior Bradley Kushner, also featured on the men's rankings, in the 108th spot.

"The team is very proud of the validation that comes from these team and individual rankings," said head coach Colin Sheehan '97. "It is a measure of their hard work, passion for the game and competitive resolve that deservedly places them in such an elite peer group."

While Stanford, Oregon and Texas sit atop of the Golfstat team rankings, the Bulldogs are reveling in their highest ranking in recent memory. The No. 38 spot is recognition of the growing strength of the Elis, who are threatening many other top ranked Division I teams around the nation.

Last year, the Elis had their strongest season in many years, taking home both the Ivy League Championship and Princeton Invitational. For those results, and others, the team claimed a number of prestigious accolades over summer: Sheehan took out the Northeast Region Coach of the Year Award, former captain Thomas McCarthy '11 was named an All-America scholar and the overall team earned President's Recognition Status.

"The team has achieved this stature while balancing the extremely arduous academic demands of undergraduate life," Sheehan said. "As their coach, and a Yale golf team alum, I am very impressed with this group."

The team's performance has continued into this year, as the Bulldogs victory at last weekend's Macdonald Cup testifies to. They will next take to the links at the Oct. 8-9 Big Five tournament at the Plymouth Country Club, Philadelphia, Pa..